1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for calculating an internal state for an artificial emotion based on a generative probability model, and particularly an apparatus and a method for calculating an internal state which becomes a basis when expressing the emotions of a robot in different ways.
2. Description of Related Art
Most intelligent life has emotions, of which a human being can express the most varied and complicated. The emotion mechanism of a human being is directed to expressing a physical state based on a recognition function and a physical state of each instant moment as well as a spiritual state. For handling an emotional facet of a human being's behavior, many scientists are trying to research into emotional communication and communication between a human being and a robot and imitate an emotion mechanism of a human being for the purpose of designing a robot emotion system.
The emotions of a robot can be externally expressed by way of the motions of eyes, mouth, ears, gestures, etc., and a signal controlling such a motion is formed from information which helps properly move devices which can be movable in the robot. For example, the above mentioned information is on how great an angle a mouth can move at and how far an eyelid has moved.
The control signal should be configured to match the emotion of a robot. For example, when a control signal corresponding to a sorrow emotion is actually adapted when the emotion of a robot means fun, such emotional expression in this case does not actually match.
Even when the emotions of a robot and a control signal are properly mapped, a conventional art is simply directed to expressing a previously set simple emotion in accordance with an external input transmitted to a robot. For example, when an external input is transmitted to a robot, for example a signal related to touching gently on the head of robot is transmitted, the robot claps its hands for expressing a previously set fun emotion. When the head of robot is touched gently again, the robot only expresses the same emotions.
In other words, the robot of the conventional art can express the same emotions all the time when the robot is exposed to the same external conditions unlike a human being who expresses emotions in different ways depending on the internal states, in other words, the personalities or depending on the current internal situations even when the same external inputs are transmitted, so the robot cannot be made to fully express the emotions in the emotion mechanism of the human being.